Exhaust gas recirculation is used to allow a controlled amount of oxygen depleted exhaust gas to be mixed with inlet air flowing to an engine for combustion in the cylinders of the engine. EGR valves are used to reduce NO.sub.x emissions from engine exhaust gases. Electrically actuated EGR valves are now well known for current petrol/gasoline engines. However, these designs of EGR valve are generally unsuitable for diesel engines due to the substantially different requirements and operating conditions of a diesel engine when compared to a petrol/gasoline engine. Diesel engines using EGR valves are known, but these EGR valves are operated by large vacuum operated diaphragms which are generally too slow.